Preface 



Such being, in brief, the nature, object, and occasion of the 

 essay which follows, a few words only remain to be said on its 

 materials and execution. There is nothing of egotism (cer- 

 tainly nothing intentional) in the remark that these pages 

 have sprung out of the author's own reflection and observa- 

 tion, and have often been jotted down of an evening, or dur- 

 ing a journey, as the result of daily experience. It is very 

 likely that a more finished and comprehensive and readable 

 book might have been produced by the use of frequent quota- 

 tion and copious illustration from other and less easily attain- 

 able works. This, however, was no part of the original plan ; 

 though it should be added, that since its completion the best 

 books on the art have been glanced over, and a few valu- 

 able hints, which have been mostly acknowledged, gleaned 

 from Sir Uvedale Price, Mr. Repton, and Mr. Loudon. The 

 work of Sir U. Price on " The Picturesque " is probably the 

 most valuable thing of the kind in our language. To have 

 collected more from these, or Mr. Gilpin, or any other 

 authority, would have entirely altered the limits and inten- 

 tion of the essay. 



At the outset of his task, it was the author's purpose to 

 have illustrated the volume with a number of woodcuts, show- 

 ing how the various suggestions might be actually carried out, 

 and supplying designs for a few gardens of different sizes in 

 the two principal styles. Well-selected lists of the several 

 tVibes of plants suitable for gardens of limited dimensions 

 were likewise to have been inserted. But it was soon found 

 that the first of these would have materially increased the 

 price without adding greatly to the efficiency of the book, 

 while the catalogues in question would also have seriously 

 enlarged its bulk. Mere Hsts of plants, too, are of such com- 

 mon occurrence in other publications, that they do not seem 

 to be wanted; and general designs for places, or sketches of 



